Ticket issuing machine



Oct. 24, 1939. R. H. HELSEL TICKET ISSUING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l www Oct. 24, 1939. R. H. HELSEL. 2,176,966

TICKET ISSUING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 MTA/iss.- @ffm/r Oct. 24, 1939. R. H. HELsEl.

TICKET ISSUING MACHXNE Filed Aug. 5, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TICKET ISSUING MACHINE l.

Application August 3, 1937, Serial No. 157,111

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a ticket issuing machine designed to issue one or more tickets in a single cycle of operation.

The machine of the present invention comprises principally improvements on the type of machine shown in my application Serial No. 120,- 348, filed January 13, 1937. In said application there is disclosed a machine which is smooth and silent in operation and which will issue a series of tickets with a minimum of delay after a cycle of operation is initiated. It is one object of the present invention to provide in a machine of the multiple ticket issuing type a counter actuating mechanism of such type that the counter will not be operated unless a ticket strip is present in the machine in position for the issuance of tickets. Another object of the invention is the provision of an arrangement whereby, if a unit is not in use, its various keys may be depressed flush with or below a cover plate and then simultaneously raised for operation when the unit is again to be used. Still another object of the invention is the provision of means for effecting operation of the machine for testing purposes in such fashion as to cause the majority of the parts to operate,

and particularly, the knife actuating mechanism, l

without issuing any tickets.Y

It will be readily understood that the inventions just indicated are not necessarily limited to the type of machine shown in my prior application. However, in their practical embodiment the inventions have been incorporated in such ma.- chine and accordingly the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is directed to said'machine.

The above and subsidiary objects of the invention, particularly relating to details, will be apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical section taken through a ticket issuing unit adjacent the left hand side thereof and showing the major operating parts which are located closely adjacent one of the side plates;

Figure 2 is a similar section, but taken further to the right than Figure 1, and showing the parts to the right of an intermediate supporting plate;

Figure 3 is a substantially vertical section taken on the surface, a trace of which is indicated at 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan View, partly in section, showing the counter driving mechanism;

Figure 5 is a vertical section through the same mechanism; and

Figure 6 is a perspective View of certain parts of the counter driving mechanism.

The machine unit comprises a pair of side plates 2-2 suitably connected by cross members in a general fashion common to this art. A plurality of units are intended to be arranged side by side (Cl. 27h-2.4)

within a casing, as indicated in Figure 3, to issue tickets of various denominations. Arranged to cover all of the units in the usual fashion ls a cover plate arrangement diagrammatically indicated at 3, which, in the present instance, is provided with a forwardly extending portion through which the keys may project as indicated in Figure 2. Further reference to this arrangement will be made hereafter. It may be noted that these cover plates are generally locked in position so as to prevent access of the operator to the unit locking mechanism; and the unit counter, the cover plate being removable to provide access to these parts by an authorized party.

Between the side plates there is located an intermediate supporting plate 4, which carries or aids in the support of various operating elements. Suitable guiding means for the ticket strip are provided including members 5 forming a channel approaching the feeding pin wheel and a fixed member 'l and movable member 9 adjacent the pin wheel designed to maintain the ticket strip in engagement with the pins and lead it past the severing knives. The other details of the frame arrangement are of minor importance, and being substantially conventional, need not be described in detail.

Extending across the various units so as to be common to all of them there is a shaft 6 carrying a number of pinions 8 equal to the assembled units. The shaft 6 is driven through a suitable reduction means, either gearing or belting, from a motor which is carried by the housing for the units. Each of the pinions 8 engages a gear I0 in the corresponding unit and through such engagement effects the driving of the unit.

The gear I0 is journaled on a pin Il extending between the side plates 2 and has secured to it a toothed clutch member indicated at I2. The teeth of the member I2 are designed to engage the laterally turned end I4 of a bell crank IB which is pivoted at I'l upon a cam member H4 and urged in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in the iigures by a spring I8 to bring its turned end I4 into the path of the teeth of the member I2. When the machine is in its stationary condition illustrated in the iigures, a pin 20 on one of the arms of the lever I6 is engaged with the end of a lever 22 having a nose 24 under which there is engaged the end of a latching lever 26 pivoted upon a pin 28 extending between the side frame members. The lever 26 is provided with a cam following extension indicated at 30. The

units may be individually locked by means of a lever 32 which is provided with an opening 33 of the shape indicated in the drawings arranged to embrace a pin 35 carried by the nose 24 of the lever 22. The operation of the locking lever 32 will vbe described hereafter. It may be here noted that this lever has three positions, a forward one in which it effects locking of the unit, an intermediate normal one, and a rearward testing position in which it effects idle operation of a unit. The lever is arranged to move with frictions! re'- straint and may be more definitely held in its two forward positions by yielding engagement of a projection thereon within shallow depressions 8| in plate 4.

The latching lever 28 carries an arm 84 which underlies a plate 88 pivoted in the frame at one side as indicated in Figure 3. Above the plate 88 and guided through slots in various frame members there are a plurality of key rods indicated in the drawings atl 38. These rods are surmounted by keys of cylindrical shape indicated at 88. The key rods are offset at their upper ends to provide any desired arrangement of the keys. In all cases the key rods are constrained to move vertically in contact with the right hand arm of a U-shaped member 54.

Y Each of the key rods is provided with an opening 48 through which there normally projects an ear 42 formed on a corresponding selector member 44.l Assuming that five tickets are to be issued as the maximum in a cycle of operation, there will be five keys and key rods and five selector members 44 pivoted upon the pin 48 and individually urged in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3 by springs 48. Each of the selector members is provided with a camming portion 58 designed to be projected through a corresponding slot 52 in the left hand arm of the U-shaped member 54 which is spaced from the left hand side plate 52 to provide a channel 58. When any of the keys is operated by being depressed, its engagement with the ear 42 of the corresponding selector member 44 will rock that selector member in a clockwise direction, projecting the camming projection 58 across the channel 5.8.' After this action occurs the key will be moved further downwardly-and the solid portion of the key bar will be opposite the ear 42 effectively locking the selector member 44 in its new position.. It will accordingly retain such position until the key is raised.

Returning now to the drive, there is secured to the cam I4 an eccentric 58 which operates within an elongated slot in a yoke 88 pivoted at 82 to the left hand side plate. The yoke at its upper end is connected by a link 84 with a pin 88 which is guided for rectilinear movements within a slot 88 formed in the left hand side plate. Pivoted on the pin 88 is a bar 18 which is provided with al beveled forward end 12 designed to engage and ride up the camming projection 58 of any of the selecting members which happens to be in its clockwise position due to key actuation. The bar 18 carries a roller 14 arranged to be engaged by a lever 16 along the upper edge of which it may roll. A spring 18 urges the lever 18 in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivot 11 so as to initially bring a nose 88 thereof within one of a series of slots (in the present case five) in a member 82 which is pivoted upon a pin 84 and which is secured to a pin wheel 88 having five pins 88 arranged to engage perforations in a ticket strip to advance the same in the delivery operation. A pinion 88'also secured to the pin wheel and member 82 meshes with a gear 82 pivoted upon a pin 84 and carrying a toothed member 88 designed to engage the teeth 88 provided on the bar 18. 'I'he bar 18 is normally held, when the machine is stationary, in the position illustrated so that, upon lengthwise movement of the bar 18, the teeth 88 would clear the teeth of the pinion 88.

' In order to hold the/pin wheel in definite positions it is provided with a series of pins |88 corresponding in numberl to the pins 88, which pins |85 are arranged to be engagedin pairs by the upper end |84 and the forward edge of a detent member |82 pivoted at |88 to the frame and urged in a counter-clockwise direction by a spring |88. The detent member |82 carries a cam-following roller I8 arranged to ride upon and be actuated by a cam ||2 secured to the cam ||4. It will be noted that the detent member |82 is bent so as to project through the intermediate plate 4.

The cam H4, to which reference has been heretofore made, is designed to act on the pair of follower rollers ||8 and H8 carried by a lever |28 which is pivoted at |22 and connected through a link |24 with a knife-operating lever |28 to the upper end of which is pivoted a pusher |28 engaged with a movable knife |88 cooperating with a stationary blade |82. A spring |84 pulls the pusher |28 downwardly and so holds the movable blade |88 in tight cutting relationship with the fixed blade- |82, which it overlaps.

In each of the units there is pivoted at |88 a plate |88 underlying the arm 84. Each of these plates has extending toward the right through the right-hand side plate an ear |48. In the case of the left-hand unit the ear overlaps the plate |88 of the unit to its right (see Figure 3) and so on until, in the case of the most right-hand unit, the ear |48 overlaps a pin |42 controlling a switch within a housing |44. The pin is urged upwardly by 'a spring shown at |48 effective to hold contacts |41 away from contacts |48 when no unit is operating and thus open the motor circuit. When the pin |42 is lowered by depression of the plate |88, the switch is closed and actuates the motor, serving to drive the assembled units. It will be obvious that due to the overlapping of the successive plates |88 by the ears |48 the depression of a key in any of a series of assembled units will eifect closure of the switch and starting of the driving motor. A lever |48 pivoted on the same pin 28 as carries the lever 28 is provided with an end |88 designed to engage a tail portion of the plate |88 for the pUIDOse hereafter described. The lever |48 is provided with a follower extension |52 arranged to be engaged by thecam ||2. The cam ||2 performs a triple function acting upon the roller ||8 and the follower ends 88 and |52 of the respective levers 28 and |48.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that the plate |88 is provided with a slot |81 underlying the forward end of the arm 84 in such fashion that while the plate is raised the arm 84 may be lowered through the slot without moving the plate downwardly. However, the slot does not provide a clearance for the end 48 of a link 4| pivoted to the lever 82 and at its forward end provided with a pin 88 riding in a slot 81 extending lengthwise of the arm 84. A pin 45 cooperates with the end 48 of the link 4|, as will be hereafter described.

Secured to the pin wheel 88 so as to rotate therewith there is a pinion |54, which, through an |66. The pawl is held 1n inward position by a4 spring |68 connected between its free end and a pin on the pinion |60.

A ratchet |10 is secured to the shaft |12 and is provided with a number of teeth corresponding in angular spacing to the motion necessary to advance the counter through a single unit. Also secured to the shaft |12 is a collar |18 provided with an opening |18 into which there projects a smaller pin carried by a ratchet member |84, the teeth of which are directed opposite those of the ratchet |10. The ratchet |84 is loosely journaled on the shaft |12 and the collar |16 carries a spring |82 arranged to cause the pin |80 to normally engage one side of the enlarged opening |18, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The opening |18 is larger .than the pin |80 to permit limited relative movement of the shaft |12 and ratchet |84.

A detent |86 engages the teeth of the ratchet |84 and is pivoted on the pin |58 and provided with an extension |88 projecting upwardly through an opening in the guide 1 when there is no ticket strip between said guide 1 and the movable guide member 9. When a ticket strip is in such position, the extension |88 is depressed thereby causing the detent |86 to release the ratchet |84.

Assuming that tickets are to be issued, the lever 32 will be in its unlocking intermediate position illustrated in Figure 2 and a ticket strip extending through the guides 5, 1 and 9 will depress the extension |88 to remove the detent |86 from ratchet |84. If a single ticket is to be issued, the operator will depress the most forward key of the series. This will rock its corresponding selector member 44 to cause the projection 50 thereof to extend across the channel 56. The depression of the key beyond the position causing the opening 40 to clear the ear 42 will lock the selector member in such position to cause it to resist a mechanical thrust to which it is later subjected. The depression of the key will also depress the arm 34, causing the latching lever 26 to move out from beneath the end of the lever 24 and thus release the pin 20 on the clutch lever I6. As a result, the end |4 of this lever will be moved into the path of the teeth of the member I2 by the action of the spring I8. The parts are arranged so that during the action just mentioned the movements of the elements are obtained without a snapping action so that noise is avoided. It will he noted that the movement of the lever 24 is permitted because the pin is in a portion of the opening 33 which will permit its substantial downward movement.

As the arm 34 moves downwardly, it lowers with it the forward end of the link 4|, which, due to the position of the lever 32, extends forwardly so that the pin 39 is substantially at the forward end of the slot 31. Under such conditions the hooked end 43 of the link 4| is forward of the rod 45 and in engagement with the forward end of the plate |36. Consequently, depression of the lever 34 eiects depression of the plate |36 to bring its tail above the lever end |50 and, either directly or through intermediate plates |36, to close the switch |44 by depressing the pin |42 against the action of spring |46, which latter is a light spring incapable of moving the key upwardly because of the substantial friction involved due to the pressure of the selector member 44 upon it because of the action of its spring 48.

The parts so far moved, therefore. unless additional pressure is applied, will retain the positions indicated. Upward movementA is further resisted by the fact that the end oi.' the latching lever 38 will now lie to the left of the nose 24 of the lever 22, which will prevent its clockwise movement until substantial force is applied.

As the link 4| is moved downwardly, its hooked end 43 will pass below the level of the rod 45. An attempt to rock the lever 32 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 will now be unsuccessful because the hook 43 will engage the rod 45 if any such movement is attempted.

'I'he motor will now drive the shaft 6 and consequently the clutch I2, imparting counter-clockwise rotary movement to the cams ||2 and ||4 and the eccentric 58. The cam ||2 immediately acts upon the roller ||0 to withdraw the end |04 of the detent lever |02 from between the pins |05 carried by the pin wheel, thereby releasing the pin wheel for movement. Up to this time the pin wheel was prevented from forward movement by engagement of |04 with a pin |05 and from rearward movement, both yieldingly by the action of the spring |06 and positively due to the fact that any attempted movement in a retrograde direction imparted to the pin wheel will cause a downward movement of the lever 16 by the cam action of the member 82 upon the end 80A of this lever. Such action will"cause the teeth 98 of the member 10 to engage the pinion 96, which will be prevented from movement because the member 10 is held in fixed position by the locking action of the eccentric 58 upon the yoke B0.

As release oi. the pin wheel occurs the eccentric 58 begins the counter-clockwise movement of the yoke 60, thus driving the bar 10 toward the left. During the initial portion of such movement the rack teeth 98 are held out of position to engage the teeth of the pinion 96 by the action of the member 16. The movement just described therefore takes place without engagement of the rack and pinion until the beveled end 12 of the bar 10 engages the projection 50 of the selector member 44 which has been actuated. The left hand end of the bar is then cammed upwardly and the bar is caused to swing about its pivot pin 66 which is being guided within the slot 68 with the result that the roller 14 will force downwardly the lever 16 disengaging its end 80 from the slot in the member 82 into which it projected. At the same time the rack 98 is moved downwardly to engage the teeth of the pinion 96. The downward movement of the end 80 fully releases the pin wheel 86 and the parts geared thereto including the pinion 96 so that the rack, during the further leftward movement 0f the bar 10, will drive the pinion and rotate the pin Wheel 88 to feed the ticket strip. In the case just described, when a single ticket is issued, the lefthand movement of the bar continues only suiciently to move the pin wheel through a peripheral extent corresponding to the length of a single ticket, the movement ceasing when the eccentric 58 reaches its left hand dead center position as viewed in Figure 1.

It will now be obvious how varying numbers of tickets are issued. The number issued depends upon the movement of the rack in engagement with the pinion before the forward dead center position is reached. The number of tickets is determined by the delay before the rack engages the pinion, which delay is determined by the position of the selector member 44 which has been actuated. If five tickets are to be issued, ior example, the rack is engaged with the pinion almost immediately after the movement of the bar 10 begins, while intermediate numbers of tickets involve suitable delays prior to the engagement. In any event, the total number of tickets to be issued will be projected past the knives |30 and |32 during the left-hand movement of the bar 10.

Adjacent the left hand dead center position as viewed in Figure 1 a substantial rotation of the eccentric 58 will take place without any appreciable movement of the bar 10 when lost motion is considered. During this period the cam ||2 will engage successively the follower ends |52 and 30 of the levers |48 and 26. Engagement with the first causes the projection |50 to engage below the tail of the plate |36 so as to prevent its rising even though the arm 34 is raised thus maintaining the switch closed and the motor operating. The cam 2 engaging the follower end 30 of lever 26 will cause arm 34 to be forcibly raised, moving the plate 36 upwardly and raising the depressed key bar and permitting the selector member 44 to again assume its counter-clockwise position with the ear 42 projecting through the hole 40. As a consequence of this action the forward end of the bar 10 is released by the projection 50 of the selector member 44. This action preferably occurs just prior to the dead center position of the eccentric 58 and in order to avoid noise and also effect accurate positioning of the pin wheel there is prevented the immediate upward movement of the bar 10 by reason of the fact that the projection 30 of the lever 16 is riding upon the periphery of the member 82 and consequently will not raise the bar 10 immediately. However, as soon as sufi'icient further movement takes place to bring one of the notches in the member 82 adjacent the projection 80, the projection will fall into such notch and the bar 10 will be rocked counter-clockwise under the action of the lever 16 disengaging the teeth 38 from the pinion 96.

After this occurs,the roller is released by the cam ||2 and the detent |02 enters in front of a pin to definitely limit the forward movement of the pin wheel. 'I'he pin wheel has already been approximately accurately located by the projection 80 of the lever 16. The detent |02, however, engaging two of the pins of the pin wheel, as indicatedl in Figure 2, effects a cam action to accurately position the ticket strip to bring the portion to be cut into alignment with the knives.

The clockwise movement of the lever 26 may take place because of the fact that its end applies a thrust to the end 24 of the lever 22 in a direction laterally of the pivot of lever 22, which is thereby caused to be rocked clockwise against the action of its spring 25 to bring its lower end into the path of the pin 20 on the clutch lever I6 to u'timately disengage the clutch and stop the operation.

The reverse movement of the bar now occurs. The rack teeth 98 move rearwardly, clearing the pinion 96. During this reverse movement the cam ||4 acts upon the rollers ||6 and ||6 to impart, first a cutting movement to the knife |30, and then a retracting movement to `clear a passage for the next advance of the ticket strip. It will be seen that when a plurality of tickets is issued, the cutting will take place at the end of the series so that the plurality will be issued in a single strip.

As the end of the cycle of rotation is reached,

the levers 26 and |48 are released by the cam ||2. The release of the lever 26 merely permits it to be later rocked by a key actuation. 'I'he release of the lever |48 withdraws the projection |50 from beneath the plate |36 so that the spring |46 can lift this plate |36 and the associated plates and also open the motor circuit. At the same time thepin will be' engaged by the lower end of the lever 32, causing the end |4 of the lever I6 to rock out of the path of the teeth of the clutch member l2. The engagement of the pin 20 with the end of the lever 22 determines the initial position of the parts.

If a unit is to be locked out of operation, it is desirable to provide that the keys may be depressed ilush with or slightly below the cover plate 3. This eiect may be accomplished through the operation of the lever 32 in the form disclosed. By pulling the upper end of the lever 32 forwardly the left-hand extension of the opening 33 is caused to embrace the pin 35 on the lever 22. 'I'his definitely prevents engagement of the clutch because the lever 22 can no longer rock counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, to release the pin 20.

At the same time, the link 4| is pulled to the right, causing its hooked end 43 to ride over the pin and thereby disengage the plate |36. Ii now the keys are pressed downwardly, 'they will effect rocking of the plate 36 and the lever 34 but the lever 34 will now drop into the slot |31 in the plate |36 so that the plate |36 will not be depressed and will not close the switch. The incidental release of the lever 26 from the nose 24 of lever 22 will effect no result because of engagement of the lever 32 with the pin 35. It thus follows that all of the keys may be depressed ush with or below the plate 3.

lTo put the unit back into operation it is, of course, essential that the condition of the keys should not now start the operation oi' the unit. Consequently the mechanism is so arranged that as the lever 32 is moved rearwardly to its unlocking position the hooked end 43 oi' the link 4| is cammed upwardly by the pin 45, thereby causing the arm 34 to rise, forcing all of the keys upwardly to their normal positions. At the same time, the arm 26 is moved below the nose 24 oi the lever 22 before the pin 35 is released by the left-hand extension of the opening 33. As a consequence, therefore, all of the parts are placed in normal position when the lever 32 is moved to its intermediate position without effecting an undesired operation of the unit.

Referring now particularly to Figures 4, 5 and 6, the control of the counter may be first considered from the standpoint of the operation of the unit without any ticket located in position to depress the extension |88 of the detent lever |86. Under such conditions the detent |86 will engage the ratchet |84, preventing its counter-clockwise movement as viewed in Figures 5 and 6. In the operation of the unit the pinions |54, |56 and |60 will always effect a movement of the pawl |64 through an angular distance corresponding to the number of tickets to be issued. With the detent |86 in position, however, the beginning of any such movement of the pawl |64 first results in slightly advancing the ratchet |10 until its teeth are lined up with the teeth of the ratchet |84. During such movement, however, the end |66 of the pawl |64 is being cammed outwardly by a sloping portion of a tooth of the ratchet |84 (the teeth of which are at least as high as the teeth of ratchet |10) with the result that as soon as the teeth are lined up the end |66 of pawl |64 will be raised out of engagement with the ratchet |10 and will drop into the next depression. Such relative movement of the two ratchets is permitted by the clearance of the pin in theA opening |18. As soon as the pawl is released from the ratchet |10 the spring |82 will cause the opening |18 to move backwardly relative to the pin |80 thereby bringing the shaft |12 to its original position. As a consequence the sole effect of actuation of the machine in the absence of ticket stock is to produce a slight advance of the counter followed by an immediate return so that no change of thel number exhibited occurs.

On the other hand, if a ticket is present causing depression of the extension |80 of lever |86, there is no restraint exerted on the ratchet |84 and consequently, as the pawl engages a tooth of the ratchet |10, the ratchet |84 will be moved along with the ratchet |10 through the action of the spring |82 with the result that no relative movement of the two ratchets takes place and consequently there results no camming action serving to disengage the pawl from the ratchet |10. The result is that a positive motion is imparted to the shaft |12 corresponding to the extent of movement of the pawl I|4which in turn corresponds to the number of tickets being issued. It may be noted that if failure of the stock occurs during the issue of a multiple number of tickets, the counter will nevertheless record only the number of tickets actually issued. For example, if the key normally effective to issue five tickets is depressed and stock for only three tickets is contained in the machine, the movement of the pawl corresponding to the issue of three tickets will drive the counting mechanism to record the issue of three tickets, but the detent will immediately become effective after three tickets are issued to prevent any further recording despite the fact that the complete motion of the pawl is to an extent corresponding to the issue of five tickets.

The .ever 32 may not only occupy the two positions already described, but may be depressed rearwardly beyond the position illustrated in Figure 2 to effect an idle operation of the unit. It will be noted that the opening 33 clears the pin 35 to a substantial degree. This clearance is sufficient to permit the lever 32 to be moved clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, to move the link 4| lengthwise and thereby rock the arm 34 downwardly to release lever 26 from lever 24 and thus initiate operation of the unit. It will be noted that the link 4| has a direction eccentric to the shaft 28 so that its lengthwise movement will tend to rotate the arm 34. The result of such operation is to provide a normal actuation of all of the major parts of the mechanism except for the lifting of the rack 10. Consequently, the shaft I I passes through a complete revolution to drive the parts connected therewith, though the pinwheel is not rotated to issue any tickets. 'I'he knife is reciprocated in its normal fashion. It is particularly this last operation that is desirable, in order to determine whether the knife is operating properly. Machines of this sort rapidly accumulate large amounts of lint from the severed ticket stock, and the possibility of testing by the movement of a lever such as 32 is very desirable. It will be noted that the lever 32 is forcibly moved to its normal position at the end of such an operation by reason of the forcible lifting of the lever 34 and the action of lever 34 upon the link 4|. As a consequence, unless the lever 32 is continuously pressed so as to be moved to its rearmost position immediately following the completion of an idle cycle of operation, the result of rearward movement of the lever 34 will be only a single idle cycle.

W'hat I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A ticket issuing machine comprising means for :feeding and guiding a ticket strip, means for actuating the feeding means, a key controlling said actuating means, a cover for said machine,

said key normally projecting a substantial distance through said cover, and means for rendering said machine inoperative so that said key may be depressed to, and remain in, a position not substantially above said cover without initiating operation of the machine.

2. A ticket issuing machine comprising means for feeding and guiding a ticket strip, means for actuting the feeding means, a key controlling said actuating means, a cover for said machine, said key normally projecting a substantial distance through said cover, and means for rendering said machine inoperative so that said key may be depressed to, and remain in, a position not substantially above said cover without initiating operation of the machine, and for restoring said key to its normal position without initiating operation of the machine.

3. A ticket issuing machine comprising means for feeding and guiding a ticket strip, means for actuating the feeding means, a key controlling said actuating means, a coverl for said machine, said key normally projecting a substantial distance through said cover, and means for rendering said machine inoperative so that said key may be depressed to, and remain in, a position not substantially above said cover without initiating operation of the machine, and for restoring said key to its normal position and then rendering said machine operative.

4. A ticket issuing machine comprising means for feeding and guiding a ticket strip, means for actuating the feeding means, a key controlling said actuating means, a cover for said machine, said key normally projecting a substantial distance through said cover, and means for rendering said machine inoperative so that said key may be depressed to a position not substantially above said cover without initiating operation of the machine.

5. A ticket issuing machine comprising means for feeding and guiding a ticket strip, means for actuating the feeding means to issue different numbers of tickets in single cycles of operation, said last means including a member having an invariable stroke in each cycle of operation, and means including a plurality o f selective keys for causing said member to effect actuation of the feeding means during varying portions of said invariable stroke to thereby effect issuance of different numbers of tickets, an element operable to lock said machine against operation, and. means operable by a manipulation of said element for effecting movement of said member through its invariable stroke without effecting 7u actuation of the feeding means.

REUBEN H. I'IEIBEL. 

